“She’s here, she’s here” — a horde of fans, adults and children alike, buzzed at Powell Street Sephora in downtown San Francisco this past Friday, as Kat Von D made her way from the back to the front of the store in a strapless black dress, showcasing her many tattoos and, of course, her signature sky-high heels.

The L.A. Ink reality star and tattoo artist has been on a 10-city tour, since December of last year, meeting and greeting her fans in Sephora, the beauty store that carries her makeup line, from Mexico City to Vancouver and her most recent stop; San Francisco. She’s also been showcasing her first solo art show in the form of her New American Beauty limited-edition prints, which she has been selling and signing; the profits of which go to the Los Angeles charity Art of Elysium, a nonprofit that encourages working actors, artists and musicians to voluntarily spend their time and creativity with children who are battling serious medical conditions.

Von D said going to draw with the kids for the first time at Art of Elysium and made her remembert that “drawing was my best friend as a kid, all my years of drawing as a kid led up to that point. It all made sense.”

Her New American Beauty art incorporates much imagery of roses and locks, and also includes a motif of chandeliers, a theme especially symbolic to Von D. She says she appreciates the “vulnerability” and simultaneous dichotomy of “strength and weakness” within the crystals. Von D emphasizes: “None of the elements of beauty expressed (in my art work) are external; they are all internal.”

As for selling these art prints for the Art of Elysium, she says, “I don’t think there’s value in (my drawings.)” Ultimately, she hopes to lead by example, saying “I want to do things to help others and hopefully that inspires others to do them, too.”

“It’s weird to see my name on stuff; it doesn’t mean anything to me. I feel like the luckiest girl on the planet.” She added, laughing, that “I get high on meeting kids.”